Soul Sister
by SuzakuSama
Summary: NANOWRIMO FIC. PRE-GAME. After the death of Claire and Serah's mother, Claire enlists at the premier PSICOM military academy and training facility in Eden sponsored by the Cocoon government. Light-centric, from ages 15-21. More info in prologue.
1. Prologue

**Title:** Soul Sister  
**Characters/Pairing:** Lightning, Serah, eventual OCs, hint of future Farroncest  
**Warnings:** Angst, mention of death, shifting POV, language and violence later on**  
Summary:**After the death of Claire and Serah Farron's mother, Claire Farron enlists at the premier PSICOM military academy and training facility in Eden as a ward of the state sponsored by the Cocoon government. Emotional and physical tensions grow between her and her sister as Claire sheds her past and slowly grows into Lightning, the stoic new talent joining the Bodhum Security Regiment of the Guardian Corps, spearheaded by her mentor, Lieutenant Amodar. The relationship of the sisters finally comes to an irreversible breaking point as Serah is eventually revealed to be a Pulse l'Cie at Lightning's 21st birthday.**  
Notes:** My NaNoWriMo fic! It takes place pre-game, Lightning-centric, from age 15-21. Hence the OCs that will pop up here and there throughout the fic. Cameos from the other XIII characters as well.

I want to make a special mention of Lissar's translation of Episode Zero. Without it, I couldn't have pieced together events from Lightning's early adolescence.

* * *

_Prologue_

_I had another nightmare last night. It is the first I have had in a while that wakes me up so bad and sweaty that Serah asks me what's wrong. No, I didn't have the heart to tell her about Mom...yet. All I could get out was that we had to visit Mom in this hospital today. I'm scared, I don't know what to do. My forehead's in pain, but I don't want to go to the school nurse. I can't focus on the work that's out in front of me. All I can think of is 'Mom, I hope you'll get better soon.' For mine and Serah's sakes._

_The doctor called last evening as Serah was cooking dinner. Said that Mom's condition was getting worse. If she died...I don't know what to do. I'm only fifteen years old, pulling a decent grade average in school. What could I do? I don't even have a job...just breathe, Claire. I know I want to cry, but I can't. I'm the big sister, I have to be strong for Serah._

_And this is how I spent my afternoon. I picked up Serah once she was dismissed from her school, thankfully within reasonable walking distance, and I don't think I've let go of her hand since. We're close to where the hospital is. Serah seems nervous besides me, as we walk down the street, heels clicking against the pavement from time to time. Her hand is getting sweaty; so is mine. Serah keeps trying to run as fast as her legs will let her, but I have to take care of her._

_"Hey." With that, my hand squeezed hers, so she could stop and listen to what I had to say._

_"Don't run, it's dangerous." It's true, Bodhum is still a large place, even for a tourist spot famous for its beaches. I also was trying hard to not run. It's ok Claire, she's still alive._

_Serah looked up at me, and her eyes, her eyes tell me she feels something is wrong, because we're close, and I couldn't hide my feelings from her for very long._

_"What's wrong with Mom?"_

_"Nothing," I replied, and left it at that. I didn't want to think about it more. The growing, empty void in my stomach was enough warning. I was too nervous to reassure her further until I felt certain about Mom. But the doctor..._

_The room was very white, but dimmed from the shades covering the window. I picked the withering flowers from the vase, and replaced it with cheap, new ones that we both picked up on our way here. The flowers are the only splash of color in the room, besides the smattering of faded pink hue on the wall. Roses are her favorite flowers, but I felt odd giving her these. Roses for romance, right? It would've felt too inappropriate for me, because Dad always gave her some, as far back as I can remember._

_"Mom!" Serah cried, running up to her until she stopped, then hugged her very carefully. I was right behind her for my hug. I hugged my mother, our only parent, until I couldn't hug her any closer._

_"Why, girls, thank you for the flowers. They're lovely."_

_"Anything for you, Mom. Are you okay?"_

_"I'm feeling a little better. The fever's gone now."_

_"That's great!"_

_"Yes. How are you two doing in school?"_

_At least Serah was smiling again. Etro, I even have a wide grin on my face now. It's good to visit Mom whenever we can. I wanted to meet the doctor on the communications link, face to face, to explore the options if Mom...if she wasn't here anymore._

_Don't be so negative. She's right here, talking to you._

_"Mom."_

_"Claire?"_

_"I..I'm just happy to see you. I'm sorry I didn't see you yesterday."_

_"I'm feeling good today. Actually, I want some fruit." Turning her head, she nodded towards Serah._

_"Serah, would you go and buy some for me?"_

_"Wait," I said, "I'll go buy some."_

_"Serah's better at choosing."_

_"Yea," Serah nodded, "And I'm a better cook too." With that, she left the room. Well, at least I can try to tell Mom what was exactly on my mind...the doctor's call, anything else I could do to-_

_"Claire?"_

_"Yea Mom?" By that tone, Mom also had important things to tell me too. She knows, she knows, but I can't panic now. I took her hand instead. It's warm and comfortable, like always._

_She took a breath before speaking, all eyes on mine. Mom looks very sad._

_"There will be many things you'll have to do now." She squeezed my hand and with her other one, placed it on top of mine. I don't want to hear this..._

_"But you know, you don't have to do it all by yourself. Serah can help you with some of those things," she continued. She knew, she knew, and I can't do anything for her._

_"But Mom..." I can't say anything more. There's a lump in my throat. My eyes are getting blurry, but I can't cry in front of Mom. She's telling me I have to be an adult, and little kiddies cry. I can't do that right now. It's not fair to Mom. She's dying, the doctor said. She's telling me she's dying, and that I have to be responsible for everything now. I have to be an adult, for her, for Serah. I know, Mom, and it hurts._

_I want my- our Mom to live. The lump's getting bigger, my headache just tripled in size, and a little whine creeped out of my mouth. I sound like a dying cat-and, and my eyes are wet now. I tried to duck my head down so she couldn't see, but the soft pitter-patter can be heard on the floor. Curse you tile flooring, with your amplified sound system. And no, I just let out a sniff, my shoulder are shaking-_

_There's a little pressure on my arm. I leaned into it. I only wanted my Mom to be okay. It took me so long to accept Dad's passing, and now my Mom is being taken away. I'm so weak, I don't know what to do...except to stop crying. Mom is just holding me. I like that; it feels safe._

_"Aww, my baby. Don't cry." Her arm reached some more and softly rubbed my back. I needed that comfort. Thank you, Mom. It probably felt like ages, before I'm good. Probably a little bit puffy-eyed, but i had to be calm for the next part. I had to tell Serah soon._

_"Cute little spoiled girl. We used to call you that, before Serah was born."_

_"I don't remember that..."_

_She laughed a little bit. "Once Serah was born, you became an older sister. You were only three. Both your father and I no longer can call you our spoiled girl." My hair was being stroked by Mom's but she felt so thin. Serah and I kept telling her to eat, because how else can you get better? Then it hit me. Mom was really dying. Her hand went through my hair again, staying on the little curls at the end. She continued with the memory, "After your father died, you always helped me, didn't you? You always watched over Serah,"- I gave a little nod at that-"You're such a good big sister. That's why I'm not worried about Serah. Because you'll be there for her...but Serah will be there for you too. She will help you when it hurts, she will give you strength. Don't forget that."_

_I'm tearing up again. All this time, Mom was worried for me, because she knew I had to deal with the responsibility a lot more than Serah. I have to ask for this doctor now..._

_"My little spoiled girl..." And Mom continued stroking my hair, eventually standing up to give me a proper hug. That was it. Mom was telling me I have to take care of my sister and myself...because there's no one else who was able to do that anymore. And I won't be letting my mother down. Not if I can help it. To protect what was left of this family, I have to be an adult. I can't just shift this responsibility to anyone else, because Mom trusts me. I vaguely heard clicking on the tile floor, then the door opened-_

_"Mom, I got your favorite. Strawberries."_

_"Thank you, Serah. Come, give me another hug." And we three were all hugging each other in the middle of the room. It was turning orange because of the sunset, making the room vibrant. I felt a pain in my chest, I can't go home and be a child anymore. I'm not the same person. I tried grinning as we held each other, but it felt forced, fake._

_I don't think I can ever feel like a child again._

_

* * *

_

_I placed white flowers on the grave marker. White roses, because roses were her favorite. She told me many times before...before she passed on. It's been two weeks since we had the ceremony. That day was cloudy, a sort of rarity given that Bodhum was sunny all year round. Serah was crying during the ceremony, wouldn't talk to anyone, not even me. I was trying to bottle my tears, but as the service went on, I broke down during the eulogy. I lost my mother. She wouldn't get to see me grow up-Serah too-, have my own marriage, maybe grandkids too. None of that, nothing at all._

_I spoke with those social services people the doctor recommended. There was hope at least. I can take care of Serah, even if I'm only fifteen. There were...options. And I will take them, because it's better than splitting us apart because of my age._

_"Hi Mom. I know roses are your favorite."_

_So I'm asking Mom, for help. I can't be Claire anymore. She wasn't strong enough. I had to be someone else, a stronger, responsible adult. From this day on, I am not Claire Farron, the little spoiled girl._

_I am Lightning._


	2. The Promise

**Notes:** Beta'd by me, as a little present for finishing this semester. (I still have to pack and leave the dorm). And I appreciate all the readers who are still sticking to this story. I know I could've updated much earlier, and it's nice to read the reviews here and on livejournal.

Bonus points if you know the inspiration behind the academy and the uniform. In fact the first review/PM that gets it correct can have a nice drabble of your choice.

* * *

**Six months later**

A tall pink-headed young woman's footsteps padded through the hallway, just coming from a fresh shower early in the morning. Today, she would start a new semester in a different school, Etro, in a different city as well. For the past few months, she and her sister were planning for the move because they're weren't able to afford their old house. It was painful, but they simply just had to do it. Being wards of the state didn't entitle you to anything much. She had talked to the doctor soon after her mother's death, seeing the referred social services people. They told her she was able to take care of Serah at her current age; however there were limited choices. For one, most of her parents' life insurances and whatever assets were left in the will her mother wrote were supposed to be distributed once she was of age. Which, in three years' time, she would be—until then they had to wait it out. However, the social services people wanted her to resume her education, and not go right into job hunting, no matter how dire the situation was.

So she settled on being independent wards of the state. It meant that while the Cocoon government would foot the necessary bills, it also meant she had to serve the government eventually. Now here she was, in the Capital City of Eden, in a government-sponsored apartment used mainly as cheap housing for independent students or low-income families. And she was enrolled in the premier PSICOM academy, West Galden Academy, with regular high school subjects, and basic military classes for now, focusing on the structure of the various Cocoon military branches, and the rules and policies of all. Once she was sixteen, then she can begin basic combat training and more advanced military classes. Serah, in the meanwhile, would be attending a regular high school a quarter mile from the apartment, Eden Middle School, for a year, then hopefully the high school that was closer to the Academy.

'Serah was getting better,' Lightning thought. Little Claire Farron became 'Lightning' Farron soon after her mother's death, and just a few days ago, Serah had called her Lightning instead of Claire, then Serah made a face once she said it. She said it would take more time to get used to it, if she would ever get used to it.

For Lightning though, she was cut off for most of her friends in their few months left back in Bodhum. They would ask her how she was doing, how she was feeling. How was she supposed to tell them that they didn't know how painful it was until they have lost their parents? They couldn't understand how she was feeling. And it was still too raw to try to explain it. The both of them—she and Serah, had to go through psychological evaluation. It wasn't because the state was concerned with how they were coping; Lightning had to take one mostly because she was to be a future soldier and it was one of the requirements. At the time, Serah didn't want to be left alone so she walked with Lightning to the psychologist's office and while she was there, the psychologist gave her an evaluation and charged it to the government as a necessary evaluation. When Lightning became of age and ready to start her military career, she had to take another one, depending on where she went, to PSICOM, or the Guardian Corps, or even the Air Force.

For now, she was trying to get through the first day of school. While getting out the pan, she heard the door creak, and a little head of pink peeped out before veering straight to the bathroom to get ready. Lightning smiled a little before asking loudly, "Omelette?"

"Sure," was the reply.

Well, okay, two omelettes with cheese then. A couple of steps to the right of the stove, she opened the fridge unit, and took out two eggs and two slices of cheese, individually wrapped in plastic. A couple of steps back, placing the ingredients on the counter Lightning used a dab of oil on the pan, waiting till it started to sizzle, before rotating the pan slightly so the oil covered the whole surface. Breaking one egg on one side, Lightning grabbed a spatula and carefully placed it on half of the pan, unwrapping the cheese slice and letting it cook. Then she went for the other egg and broke it, keeping the spatula at the middle of the pan, so the eggs didn't overlap and mix together, placing the other slice of cheese on top.

Waiting for a minute or so, she folded the first one, and shortly after, the second one, before getting out the bread and toaster and placing slices into the appliance. Getting out two plates she placed each omelette into one and immediately placed the pan under the sink. Lightning heard the bathroom door open and Serah quickly went over to the kitchen. Just in time for breakfast.

"Orange juice?" Serah asked.

"Sure."

Getting two glasses for Serah, the toaster pinged as she set them on the table, signaling the bread was done. Using her index and thumb, Lightning carefully lifted the pieces of toast onto the plates as Serah got the utensils.

"Breakfast is served!"

Both sat down on the table and started to eat. Lightning had another 40 minutes to eat, get in uniform and go to the Academy for her assigned homeroom.

"Do you want me to come with you?" She asked Serah.

Serah paused in her bite, taking a moment to swallow. She looked like she was thinking hard.

"If...if you can. I don't want you to be late, Claire."

Lightning nodded. Yes, she would take a long time to get used to calling her Lightning, but she guessed she wouldn't push it on her too much. It was fine if she called her that at home, in their own private little world.

"…I don't mind at all."

-  
_At the time I didn't notice, but Serah was trying very hard to take care of me, in her own way. She might have been only twelve years old, but she was my sister. And she knew or felt- I still wasn't certain, and I did pride myself on thinking I knew—that I was bearing too much of the load. The same load I inherited just by being three years older. I just…I just couldn't think of Serah as a burden. She…was my sister, she deserved better. She wasn't a burden, and I didn't notice she might have felt like one. I guess she didn't want to add more to that. I never minded when it came to my little sister. Yea I realized this now, when it was a bit too damn late. I was too busy thinking about what I had to do, and not about how Serah felt._

_Why couldn't I see this before? I thought I wasn't spending enough time with her. In a way, that was true. And my career didn't exactly leave me with plenty of vacations or any relaxation time to check up on her. It got up to the point where Serah was alive, I was doing my job. If Serah was happy, I wouldn't know, because I was too busy to ask._

_What would happen if she didn't need me anymore?_

* * *

"You done yet?"

"Uh huh…all done!"

Lightning made a motion to grab the plates and take them to the sink but Serah had hers out of reach.

"C'mon you made breakfast today. Let me do the dishes and you get ready, 'kay?"

"Okay then. Thanks." Lightning quickly made for her room and went straight into her closet. There it was, the crisp cadet uniform every beginner had to wear. It was navy blue all over, and she opted not to have those clunky dresses, instead having trousers and a blazer. The white shirt collar was stiff, with a sailor's tie in alternating stripes of gold and red. Not much different than the male uniform. 'Whatever,' Lightning thought, 'Anything is better than that dress.' She wouldn't be caught dead or alive in it. Shimmying out of her pajama shorts, and worn shirt, she fastened the first bra she saw, and grabbed the pants and a fresh white top to go underneath the shirt. Arms finding the sleeves, Lightning made quick work of the tie before straightening the outfit. Everything was in place, so far, so good. Picking up the blazer when she put on socks and black boots, she left the room to find Serah waiting for her. A glance at the clock out of the corner of her eye said they had 30 minutes left, and the mass hover transportation was to be at the stop in five minutes.

"Hurry Claire!"

"I'm all set."

Taking a moment to activate the security system with her identification card, Serah and Lightning Farron quickly bounced down the stairs in sets of two or three steps, and ran across the little grassy courtyard that was right in front of their building's main entrance. Serah's new shoes were clickly sharply on the stony pavement that bordered the courtyard, while her own boots made little thumps that vibrated into her soles with every step. It was a powerful sensation thrumming all over the body, like she could be faster if she really tried. That was, if they didn't already arrive at the stop. The day was getting shorter, a product of the benevolent fal'Cie Phoenix that watched over Eden and the rest of Cocoon. Phoenix had the most important task: to regulate day and night. Phoenix was light itself. Without Phoenix, the people of Cocoon would not survive. Lightning mused to herself that she will be as important as the fal'Cie one day, saving as many people as possible in the course of protecting her only family. It was only natural.

"Whoo! We made it!" Serah happily said as she breathed quickly from the exertion.

"Good, because the train's almost arriving."

"Even better Claire! Aren't you excited for the first day of school…in Eden?"

Grabbing the fare cards for both her and Serah from the pocket of her bag, Claire nodded in agreement.

The ride towards the schools was uneventful. Even though Eden Middle School would take her an extra half hour of walking, it was only two stops away from the West Galden Academy. Actually, as Lightning figured out, a very quick two stops. Technology was always booming in the Capital City, and the mass transportation was no different. Cocoon was filled with rail transport able to go up to two hundred miles per second in one minute. It was nice to see the potential here…in Eden. Everything was fast-paced.

Once they arrived at Eden Middle School station, Serah gave her sister a quick kiss on the cheek, and ran out with a crowd of increasingly more people that seemed to go in one direction. Their ages were about the same as Serah's, which made Lightning breathe a little easier. She would be safe, and she needed to go to the Academy on time. It would not do to be late on the very first day. Even though she had said she would escort Serah there, Serah decided at the last minute to go by herself and let Lightning take the train directly to the Academy. Squaring her shoulders as she arrived at West Galden, Lightning walked out of the station and directly into one of the main entrances of the Academy.

Scanning her identification card, the machine responded with "Unauthorized student. Please go to the main office—"a map then appeared, indicating where the main office was relevant to her position. Not that far, Claire guessed.

"—Thank you. Welcome to West Galden Academy." The machine concluded. Ahh, best to move along towards the main office then, and Claire trodded towards the right, turning at the corner and walking down the corridor before making a left, where she saw a sign for the main office. People were walking all over the room, some with files in their hands, bypassing Lightning as she walked through the open door.

_Hmm…West Galden Academy, come to think of it, was more confusing than anything. My first day…I was very nervous. No parents were there to comfort me. No parents were there to be a fallback. At that point I realized just how much I have to depend on myself to get through only the first day. Then the rest will follow. But that receptionist was something on the first day…_


	3. Changes

**Author's Notes**: Thank you for all the reviews so far, in case I didn't point that out yet. They are quite motivating to get me back in gear and actually edit the fic myself. By the way, the drabble offer is still open, as no one has gotten it yet (but nice effort Scraggles).

* * *

"Excuse me, miss, can I help you?"

Claire turned her head towards the receptionist that was sitting up front and center of the room. She looked like the typical secretary type, only that she was probably a decade older than her wearing the fashion of some decades older than _her_.

"Yes. I don't have the proper student I.D.; it's my first day." Claire explained, handing out her general identification card.

"Well, scan that on that machine—yes there," she clarified, "and we'll take a picture right now while you're in uniform."

"Stand right there after." She pointed at the boxed off area in the corner of the room.

Claire did as she was told, scanning her card while the machine retrieved the information from her previous school, and loaded the information into the school's database.

"Uh huh…Claire Farron, yes?" The secretary was staring at Lightning, partially for confirmation, and partially to get her to budge over to the section of the room where a camera was focused on.

_Better now or never._

"Yes. But…"

"What's the problem?"

"Can you change the given name on my identification card?"

The secretary paused for a moment, taking off her glasses, as if that would help her analyze Claire Farron further.

"Now…why is that?"

"I just like my nickname better. Is that allowed?" Claire stopped herself from fidgeting out of nervousness. Bad habits needed to break, period.

"Hmm…no one ever asked me that so I have no idea if the policy would be enforced," The secretary smiled, tapping her chin as if thinking intensely. "Tell you what. Tell me why you want the change, and I might do it for you. We'll even add the nickname on your official papers."

Her voice lowered just a tiny bit. "It'll be our secret."

_Okay, I was not expecting that. How do you say to the secretary that since your mother died, you refuse to be such a spoiled brat anymore, yet the name given by your dead parents felt like it was holding you back from becoming an adult? Hmm…well, that was a compelling story in itself._

"Okay. As you know I'm an independent ward of the state. Independent. The name 'Claire' still ties me with my dead parents. I don't need that kind of baggage when starting in a new school, a new city. That's not what I want. I've chosen a name for myself instead. I want to be called 'Lightning'. Yes, like the element. I want to get rid of my past, start a new life. And I can start with my name."

Claire 'Lightning' Farron was looking expectantly at the secretary and what her reaction would be. But it seemed she was intensely wearing a thin line for a mouth, and narrowed eyes, trying to analyze her further. In part, it was true. 'Lightning' was something fearful, but at the same time, not to be feared. It was to be understood, dependent on, yet independent from others. It was the perfect namesake for her. But this secretary was spending an awful lot of time just trying to digest that information.

_Stop fidgeting, stop fidgeting. You have to stop these bad habits or you will never get rid of them. Stay calm. Just breathe, you are invincible. 'Lightning' is invincible, impenetrable. And you are her, in spirit and soon, in name as well._

"…That is certainly interesting, Ms. Farron." The secretary then placed her glasses back on the bridge of her nose, and typed something into her file. "Please stand over there to get your picture taken, Lightning."

The secretary turned her smile into a full-blown grin once she had seen how relieved 'Lightning' was. She knew she was trying hard to be emotionally stoic, but again, she understood how nervous she must have felt. 'Poor child,' she thought, and made it a sort of mission to change that name, because she seemed as if she would be using that name for a very long time, in one function or another. Another reason was that it made her ambiguously gender-neutral, just from the name itself.

"You're almost done. Do you know your schedule?"

Lightning actually did not, but she knew the homeroom. Surely there was no reason to refute the implied request.

"I don't know my schedule. I thought we were to get them in homeroom."

"Well I'll print it out for you just in case. Your first class is on the second floor, but—yes, go to homeroom first."

"Thank you." The machine hummed and a lazer scanned through a blank piece of plastic that was suddenly decorated with her picture and essential information. Hmm, it was interesting procedure to see, to say the least. It was in a small chamber that the lazers were inscribing on both sides simultaneously. The security in the Academy must be top-notch. 'Lightning' was mesmerized by how simple yet complex it was. She saw the word 'Lightning' as the card twirled around in the chamber. Seeing that made her proud. She took those baby steps into becoming the kind of adult she wanted-no, could be.

"Here you go, Lightning. Along with your class schedule. Now if you have any problems, you're free to come to me for anything." And in a lower voice, the secretary leaned over close to Lightning, "And I do mean anything. You look like you would excel in the Academy." She then winked at Lightning, while the teenager fought not to blush at the praise. No, she hadn't met exactly this kind of forward person in years. It was nice, and made Lightning smile a little ever since the funeral.

Serah was the exception, of course. This was the first stranger to give her something to be happy about.

"Thank you…again. Maybe I'll take up on your offer, Miss…" Come to think of it, the secretary never gave her name.

"Aira. You can just call me Aira or Miss Aira, whichever you prefer. By the way, your homeroom… ahh, is on the third floor. Not too bad."

"Okay, Miss Aira. I'll come and see you again." And with that, Lightning left the main office in search of her homeroom. Seeing stairs near the office, she took them up two floors, where a little plaque in the middle of the wall indicated it was indeed the third floor.

'Room 358,' Lightning muttered to herself, checking the nearby doors for the numbers. It seemed as if she was going in the right direction; the numbers were getting larger. Other than that, the Academy looked more sterile than the hospital at Bodhum. Everywhere, the walls were bleak grey, metallic, but not enough to see a clear reflection off it. As she walked, Lightning couldn't help but think of Miss Aira. She really was beyond nice to her. Lightning fully knew that student identification cards must contain their birth names, and Miss Aira had gone ahead and practically gave her a legal name change. Well, at least in this Academy, her 'official' first name would be Lightning, and not Claire. That was all she needed.

* * *

"_Claire, are you awake?" The voice beyond the door, asked. The sound echoed more than usual in the silence of night. After all, no one else occupied the house but two sisters._

"_Claire?" The voice was louder, a young female by the tone, scarcely no older than twelve years old. The background noise of thunder boomed every once in a while, not enough to be a constant source of ruckus. However, every single time lightning flashed, a squeak tumbled out of the young girl's lips. When lightning was followed by thunder, the squeak from those lips transformed into a full blown whimper in need of relief and comfort._

_The comfort the little girl so desperately needed…was asleep at the moment._

_A flash of lightning appeared—she knocked on the door, a timid action unsure to awake the occupant—followed by the roars of thunder—and the knocking was louder this time, insisting on having comfort, damn her judgment._

_Shortly after the knock echoed what seemed to be the whole house, the door opened, revealed a much tussled and still sleepy Claire Farron. Adjusting her eyes to the darkness, Claire blinked frequently while scratching her hair, mussing it up even further after tossing and turning from the knocks and voice._

"_Serah…what's going on? Can't sleep?" She muttered, voice a bit raspy from the slumber._

"_Yea…I'm scared Claire."_

"_Of the storm outside?"_

"_Uh huh," Serah nodded, to emphasize just how much she was afraid of the storm outside. Another flash of lightning lit up the room, and Claire could see how pale Serah was, trembling at the sight._

"_Could I sleep with you tonight?" Serah asked, as if ashamed at how she was behaving. But to her, the storm was just too scary to fight it off alone. Claire felt sad for her, because usually Mom would come in and sleep amongst her little stuffed animals but now…_

_She was all her sister had. How could she not comfort her? Taking a deep breath when the thunder from outside rang after the flash, Serah squirmed in front of her, and Claire agreed, head too tired to refuse her._

"_Fine," she said, noting that Serah lit up in relief, and was nodding her head up and down in excitement._

"_You can take Mr. Pickles in the room…and a pillow." Mr. Pickles was the first toy she had, barely grasping onto its fluffy body when she was a baby. Now that Serah was twelve, on the cusp of adolescence, Mr. Pickles was a tiny rabbit taking up space on the corner of Serah's bed._

"_Will you come with me?" Claire tried peering through the darkness at Serah, but it was a bit too dim. If she could, she would've seen Serah with a quivering lip at the storm despite her age._

"_Okay, you big baby."_

_Claire followed Serah into her room, while Serah hastily grabbed her pillow with her hand and cuddled Mr. Pickles around the arm. Claire was busy observing her little sister and though it was a bit cute to see her twelve year old sister act like she was four. Well, maybe a little bit sad as well. It reminded her when she was a little child, being coddled by Mom and Dad. Dad paid lots of attention to her, taking her out on walks and Serah would have been a baby, not able to remember Dad. Dad was always the easy-going type, despite working for the Cocoon government. Claire was definitely daddy's little girl…_

"_C'mon," Claire said as she clasped her hand onto Serah's free one, guiding her back towards her room. Serah instantly settled in Claire's bed, taking up a side, flopping the pillow above her head. Then she snuggled under the thin comforter, still cuddling Mr. Pickles, facing the other side of the bed._

_Rolling her eyes, Claire took the side left, but was facing towards the ceiling as she tucked herself in. Feeling that Serah was pouting for not even looking at her, Claire sighed and slowly faced her sister. Using her big sister senses, Claire swore that Serah was smirking that she made her big sister do something for her._

"_You feel better now?" She questioned her, and Serah replied with an affirmative nod, motioning through the shadows of the room. Claire understood as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of…what time was it again? Seeking out that otherwise-pesky-but-useful alarm clock, it dimmed out two in the morning. Serah had gotten closer to her, and she can feel Mr. Pickles and Serah's arm pressing against the middle of her chest. The warmth and fur was seeping through her shirt, and Claire slowly felt content for the first time in what seemed forever._

_They were both still coping. Claire still hadn't found a job, despite perusing the papers every day, and a file of her achievements and the little volunteer opportunities she gained before Mom passed away ready to be checked. And yet, day after day, she would ask—sometimes the employers would check out of politeness, sometimes not at all—but in the end, she walked away jobless. She knew they couldn't live on life insurance and government stipends forever, but how was she supposed to help both of them survive when she wasn't even given a chance?_

'_Must work through this, because moping about it won't do anyone good,' Claire thought, easing into her own little world where she can sort out her issues._

"_Claire?" The voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Claire looked down at Serah's head. Hmm, she thought her sister was asleep. What was up now?_

"_Yeah? Something wrong?" She asked her. She already had Mr. Pickles and her. Maybe she really wanted Mom and not a close approximation of her memory. That wasn't something Claire can give._

"_Nothing. Never mind."_

"_Hey. You can tell me."_

"_Well…I'm still scared." Just then flash lighted up the room for a second but the noise followed. Heh, Serah was shaking just as the noise started. They both weren't going to get any sleep at all if the storm kept going. Claire vaguely remembered the storm wasn't going to pass until late morning at least. Biggest thunderstorm in a month, the report said. No wonder Serah was scared, although Claire couldn't remember why how she became scared. She used to hear Serah sneak into their parents' bedroom late at night. And it was during storms._

_Another flash. And Claire had an idea. Well, she had been thinking about it ever since Mom had to stay at the hospital, putting Claire in charge of the house. "Claire" was too soft a name for the ideal adult she wanted to be. But she wasn't able to think of a worthy enough moniker. She wanted to prove to herself, to the whole world she can make something of herself and provide for this family._

_But what kind of name should she become?_

"_Ahh!" Serah squeaked. The lightning wasn't letting up, and Serah was snuggling closer to her, effectively thrusting the whole furry outline of Mr. Pickles into her chest._

"_Serah, why are you so scared?"_

"_I just am, Claire!" She huddled closer to Claire's body, as another bolt of lightning flashed through the room. "I…well, Mom used to go to my room whenever it was a storm outside, so I just figured…" Serah trailed off, not knowing—no, no need to say anymore. The bottom line was Serah needed Mom, and Claire was close enough, but not exactly her. If that was the case, then Claire definitely had an idea._

"_Hey Serah…" Claire started, waiting for Serah's attention. She gave it in the form of a whispered, "yes?" as her head tilted up to make eye contact._

"_I've got something to tell you."_

"What is it, Claire?"

"_No, not Claire. Call me Lightning." Serah definitely looked confused, angling her head a little towards the right, a habit of hers that she picked up when she was three. And now here she was at twelve, still mimicking the same motion. It was kinda cute._

"_Wait, what? I don't get it."_

"_Simple. My name's Lightning now."_

"_Why?" Serah muttered, narrowing her eyes at Claire—Lightning, whoever her sister claimed to be._

_Oh._

_Oh wait, she thought that this was—_

"_I'm serious Serah."_

"You're not answering the question." Serah inched away, cuddling Mr. Pickles ever so tightly into her chest. Claire swore that if Mr. Pickles were alive at that moment, it was also the moment where Mr. Pickles would choke to death from lack of oxygen.

"_Because…then you won't be afraid." A rumble could be heard outside; Serah flinched in response, while Claire sighed. She thought it was a good plan but Serah would have to get used to it._

"_Are you afraid of me, Serah?" Claire asked, noticing how wide her sister's eyes were as a flash of lightning lit up the room, the blue wavering in the darkness._

"_No…" She trailed off, giving a tiny nod towards the window, "It's the storm I have a problem with."_

"_Well, now that my name is Lightning, you can think of me whenever there's a storm outside."_

"_I don't think it'll work like that, Claire."_

_A sudden hug from her sister shocked Serah, as she felt herself snuggled tightly in the arms of her big sister._

"_I tried, didn't I?"_

"_I guess…" She said, a low whisper buried between our chests. Only Mr. Pickles could have heard it. The storm still wasn't letting up. Another rumble followed a flash, but Serah didn't move like she did previously. Maybe she was too sleepy to care anymore, Claire wasn't exactly sure what was the reason._

"_Serah? Are you still afraid?" She asked, voice echoed in the silence, seemingly louder than it was._

"…"

"_What did you say? Couldn't hear you." Claire said, backing off a little bit to hear better._

"_Umm… I said not really." And with that, Serah snuggled closer to get some sleep._

"_So you're not afraid of Lightning anymore?"_

"_I'm working on it," a little giggle was heard, and the sisters fell asleep on a happier note. It wasn't necessary to say that earlier than expected, the storm broke in the early morning._

* * *

Claire 'Lightning' Farron stopped in front of Room 358. Time to become the person she needed to be. Taking a deep breath, she walked through the doorway of the class. Most students were already seated, and no one really paid her attention as she walked in. Even the teacher wasn't here yet. Spotting an area where there were empty seats, she made her way over amidst the chattering of the other students, some standing, some gossiping near the seats.

Pulling a chair out, she sat, cross-legged, and watched the peers in the room. They weren't much different from any other students in another classroom in Cocoon. The thought gave her a bit of relief. And here she was, being nervous on her first day of school.


	4. DAY 2: First Encounter

**Notes:** Bit of a time skip here. I love showing things out-of-order. Here is where the fic earns its M rating. Also I'm horrible at making up names. It's a bit shorter than other chapters but really, the whole scene is like 10000 words, and very difficult to put a nice clean cut to it.

* * *

DAY 2

Lightning Farron, severely- needed- to- be- promoted-soon Sergeant of the Guardian Corps, Bodhum Security Regiment was restless. It was because of Serah. She expected that as Serah grew older, of course she wanted extra space, sort of like leaving the nest, especially if she was to go back to Eden yet again for college. However, she didn't realize that the distance between them was a lot larger than she was comfortable with. Even worse was that she didn't know how to talk to Serah about it without sounding childish or needy. After all she was a soldier, and she took a lot more disappointment without making a sound of protest. From her superiors, her peers, and even the arrogant shits that called themselves Privates back at PSICOM. When it came to Serah… she had no clue how to broach the subject, so she did what she did best for the time being: ignoring the problem. Maybe this will boil over and Serah will be fine.

Strapping Blazefire Saber's holster to her waist, she straightened out her cape, adjusted her combat gloves, and read the emergency brief for this morning. She had to come into work earlier because a group of Bloodbaths were just beyond the city's borders. And her job was to go and exterminate the threat. Bloodbaths were usually easy pickings, but Sergeant Major Amodar warned her to be cautious, because they were deadly in large groups. He then gave her an aside, stating that amateur bunch of ragtags calling themselves NORA would jump at the chance to fight the creatures, so she had to be there pronto. Well, she was itching to fully utilize her gunblade and skills. Sure beat her routine morning practice of going into combat training and whipping the young recruits into shape.

Lightning let out a sigh. Serah would have to wait once she was done from work. It seemed as if she would always have to wait until she had less pressing matters to attend to. She cursed the stupid fish monsters; otherwise she would have personally escorted her own sister to school today. Grabbing her communications device, she muttered out "Sergeant Farron reporting for brief X16-09, over."

"Roger, Sergeant. As stated in the brief, this is a priority three threat. There should be no civilians around. Meeting point at Tiger 34, Crane 75. Oh, and Farron, I'll be there soon."

"Roger that," she said, and cut off the link. This was going to be a long day. Checking to see if her Grav-Con Unit was fully charged, she took a Corps airbike to her destination. Might as well ride than run all the way over there. She mused that it shouldn't be too difficult; she already had fifteen Corps Privates on station, and Amodar himself was meeting them later, after checking up on headquarters. Revving the bike, she took a shortcut, cutting across most of the shopping district, before the stores were even open, and within ten minutes, landed at the destination point of Tiger 34, Crane 75, also known as one of the edges of Bodhum's waters.

"Sargeant!" The soldiers yelled, textbook Guardian Corps greeting and all. She definitely could get used to having obedient subordinates- that was for sure. She replied with her own, hand folded parallel to her body, knees locked together, the firm posture indicating she had been doing it so much it was a sixth sense for her.

"At ease."

"Yes, ma'am!" was shouted in unison. Hmm, nothing like the sound of orderly military conduct in the early hours of day. Now she was itching to go back home and catch up on her sleep.

"Everyone ready?" Lightning questioned, and she was met with affirmative nods. Good then, it made her job easier. Unsheathing her weapon into gun mode, she propped it against her arm, nozzle facing the sky. The sergeant then led her team down the sandy path, past the patches of vegetation to where the targets were. All twenty of them bouncing, leaping onto each other, disturbing the shallow waters on shore. It was a sort of confluence, which eventually joined with the salty ocean water near one of Bodhum's biggest beaches. Judging by the direction the creatures were leaning towards, they were bound to eventually reach the tourist attraction. And with tourist attractions, there were establishments that can potentially be damaged by the overgrown flying fish squad.

Hence the priority three warning.

"I want position Delta as default. Aim for the underbelly or headshots. Halbert, Ceviche, you're seconds in command. There are three main groups to target. Don't let them get away. Is that understood?"

"YES MA'AM!"

"MOVE OUT!"

The soldiers then dispersed into their assigned groups, headed by Farron, Halbert, or Ceviche. Leading the head of the triangular attack, the groups led by Privates First Class Halbert and Ceviche branched off in opposite directions, surrounding all groups at once in flank position, engaging in battle. Lightning and her group went straight for the fish group that had the most number of different colored Bloodbaths than the rest. She had no doubt that these were the ones to call for backup, and it was textbook procedure to cut off help before extermination.

One problem though: the damn fish looked as if they were expecting visitors. And to her knowledge, Halbert was a stickler by the rules, while Ceviche had a tendency to go renegade and bomb the whole group if frustrated. Great soldier skills otherwise. And Ceviche WAS getting out a tiny flashbomb—

"Ceviche! USE YOUR HEAD INSTEAD! AIM AT TEN SHARP!" He did, bullet ricocheting off a large rock point black into the underbelly of a Bloodbath, instanteously killing the creature. The corpse landed with a bloody _squick_ onto another Bloodbath ready to jump. Landing back due to the unexpected weight, Lightning surged sharply to her left, flicked Blazefire into sword mode and cleaved the creatures in an upwards diagonal cut.

A scream to the right had Lightning turn in that direction to see one of her soldiers in a crouch, the left ankle looking worse for wear. He fired his gun just above his head into another target. A Bloodbath was heading directly for his front, leaping with its powerful hind legs aiming for his head.

"Fuck—" Lightning began, but quick thinking from the soldier saved himself. Adjusting his grip on the gun, one hand on the back instead of the trigger and shifting the other near the nozzle, he timed a vicious sideswipe, bracing the left elbow for impact and resistance. Now he was on his back, rolled and pushed himself upwards again. He would be fighting with a limp if she didn't help him towards the edge of the fray. Pivoting on her heels towards the man, the gunblade was back in gun mode, as she clicked her fingers together and flipped upwards to dodge two attacks by the Bloodbaths, before counterattacking and killing them as well. Tch, too easy.

"Can you move?" She asked the soldier once she landed back on her feet. He nodded, confirming the question, but added a "not too much pressure though". Lightning's mouth was in a thin line; nevertheless she crouched down and lifted his right arm over her shoulders.

"Fine. Halbert! Cover us!"

"Yes, Sergeant!" can be heard, followed by a _splat_ as Private Halbert leapt over the corpse over towards the two. Using two fingers in a rightward direction towards his unit as the signal to fortify their right flank, Halbert focused on the Bloodbaths near them, reloading a fresh cartridge as fast as he could. The injured soldier, in the meanwhile, did his best to straighten up, leaning much of his weight on Lightning, and hobbled away from battle.

Lightning placed him sitting down atop a large boulder beyond the sand dunes that bordered the beach front from the rest of the town inland.

"You have potions?"

"Ahh.." He was rubbing the area close to the wound—"Yes, Sergeant."

"Good. Be quick about it. I will take care of any monster."Getting in her stance, she looked about for any sign of Bloodbaths. So far, there were none in sight. And Halbert can be seen if she squinted hard enough. The man was holding his own ground just fine, dodging another attack to his left, while going behind and pulling the trigger. Blazefire was still in gun mode as she tried to pick off any Bloodbath she can. Minutes, it seemed, past, before a "I'm done, Ma'am" was heard over her shoulders.

Now she can finally stop babysitting and get some real fighting done. Flicking her communication device, she barked, "Ceviche! Halbert! Status!"

A crackle could be heard as her earpiece produced a squelching sound, followed by an _ooph_ that might have been Ceviche receiving a sideswipe. "Sarge, Ceviche here! Target has…shit!—sent for backup. I repeat, the Target called for backup. There's…about thirty in total."

Another crackle in her earpiece heralded Halbert in. "Confirming! More Bloodbaths are arriving presumably from the shore. We can't get rid of the callers in time. They're still doing—another _BANG!_—a squeal was heard—they're too many summoners! Each one is summoning two more! What should we do?"

"Permission to use mini gravity bombs, Sergeant?" It would be just like Ceviche to recommend that. And here came her migraine.

"How are they positioned?" She asked instead. Fuck, she didn't expect fast reinforcement. The brief never mentioned the summoning flying fish monsters would be able to call on other summoning fish.

"Not three groups anymore. Each summoner is surrounded by—ARGH! Ran out of ammo. _Urgh *click*… Ha!_ As I was saying, each summoner-thing is surrounded by regular Bloodbath. Somehow I think they're faster now…" Halbert trailed off.

"How many are there?" Lightning questioned again, as she nodded to the soldier behind her to get moving. First, she was going toward Halbert, who was the closest. Dammit, if they didn't rein in control of the situation fast, there will be chaos. And the responsibility would be on her, the commander of this mission.

Wait. That was it. A plan was forming into her head. And all she needed was Ceviche and Halbert to launch a pincer attack…

"Uhh... summoners, Sarge? There's…seven of them!"

"Aim for the summoners! And yes, you can use the gravity bombs, Ceviche. But don't go too crazy with them. I want you land them point-blank at the summoners, then finish them off ASAP." Lightning panted as she sped towards Halbert, the soldier behind her in a full sprint to catch up, limping slightly in pain as the medicine kept continuing to work on newly-repaired bones and tendons.

After a few strides, they were back into battle. Blazefire only had about half a cartridge of ammo left, but Lightning decided she didn't need to reload. Switching to the sword form, she hacked through two more regular Bloodbaths, concentrating on the summoner Bloodbath in direct sight.

_I've got you now, bastard._

The summoner Bloodbath kept on calling and two Bloodbaths were in between Lightning and her target. While running, she quickly gripped on the pads of her feet, veering to the right and attacking diagonally the nearest Bloodbath, before slicing the summoner. Sensing an attack from the other, she jumped back, brought Blazefire close to her body as she dodged again, to the left this time, and sliced the offending monster, blood oozing from the open wound. She cut deeper when it managed a feeble attempt at attacking her, finally withering into a slump.

_Well, let's see how you attack now._

A sudden BANG was heard, the aftershocks creeping into Lightning's personal space. Ceviche over there acted like he was a one man army. The other soldiers were running towards her, moving the battle further inland. Wait, she could work with this. She would have to find a way to position most of the Bloodbaths back towards shore though.

"Ceviche! Stop, I have a plan." Her voice boomed in Ceviche's earpiece. His hand gripped yet another bomb but his arm tensed at soon as the voice reached his ear.

"Sergeant Farron?" He questioned, moving back and forth, left to right, and back again in an effort to dodge attacks and confuse the enemy. Landing near one, he automatically ran towards it and booted the Bloodbath as hard as he can.

"I want you and Halbert to position the soldiers to chase all the Bloodbaths back down to the shore. I'll be waiting for them. At the shore," the voice paused as another loud squelch was picked up by the communications device, "I don't want anyone beside me as they chase toward me. You all will be on the offensive if Bloodbaths even _think_ of going upstream."

Ceviche was at a loss. Did Sarge just imply she would be fish bait? Taking another look at his surroundings, blood was everywhere. That was never a good sign; it meant either the soldiers were untrained or losing control. So that's why Sergeant wanted to go at it alone. She seemed to have no problem killing small groups with one swing of her weapon. Well, an order was an order.

_C'mon Ceviche, Halbert. Leave it up to your commanding officer._


	5. DAY 2: Second Encounter

Notes: Part II of Day 2. I would definitely recommend reading the XIII prologue novel if you're confused by the previous chapter and this one.

* * *

_DAY 2: Second Encounter_

"YES MA'AM!" Both second-in-commands barked. They issued the new commands to the rest of the group, and every soldier grouped together to form an effective offensive front near the sand dunes that lead up to the edge of Bodhum. Releasing two firebombs, Ceviche and the injured soldier from before, Azia, flushed all the remaining Bloodbaths. Since the non-summoning Bloodbaths huddled over a summoner, they were quickly burned to crisps, leaving the summoners mostly vulnerable to the Sargeant.

Meanwhile, Lightning was rushing towards the shore to pick off stragglers that might be coming or going into the water. Checking to see if the shore was finally secure enough so that no more unexpected backup will come, she turned back towards the sand dunes in an effort to launch an inevitable stranglehold on the terrain. She just hoped that she didn't tire out before finishing off all the remaining—her eyes widened at the scene before her—

_Good job, soldiers. That will make it even easier for me. After this, Ceviche can play with all the fucking bombs he wants._

"Stop firing bombs! I'm coming up; shore's secure. They're cut off now!"

"Understood, Sargeant!"

Fortunately for her, the summoning Bloodbaths were attempting to start another heralding, interrupted from the bombs. Her eyes flicked from target to target to assess how she would go about it. A "Z" formation, or the plow tactic? Whatever, she would do what her instincts told her, and it was saying to go for the summoner in the back, left of center area. Snapping her fingers, she felt all her center of gravity travel down to the soles of her feet, propelling her in a high air flip. It became almost a sixth sense for her, at least what would happen afterwards. Switching to gun mode, she aimed, fired at the summoner, bullets shooting through the body before it collapsed in a dead heap.

_Now stick the landing. Go for the two in front, move to the right and kill._

She obeyed her instincts and did stick the landing, the sand shooting upwards and to the side around her feet from the impact as she slid back from the momentum. Her Blazefire Saber was back into sword mode as she went for a Blitz attack, hitting two more with her sharp edge of her blade as she spun, giving her attack some effectiveness. Blood spattered from the wounds, some on the sandy ground, some caught on the edges of her formerly in-pristine-condition of a cape, the shrieks amplifying in the air as the summoners desperately tried to retaliate.

_Finish them off, Farron. Disgusting as it may sound, now isn't the time to be that squeamish about it. But did it have to be fucking green-colored?_

"Haa!" Lightning cried out, as she brought her weight upon a straight cut down one of the Bloodbaths; the creature was partially split in half as it flopped around for a mere two seconds before all movements ceased. The other Bloodbath made no resistance as Lightning cut through its vitals. She felt the blade jerk a bit as flesh gave way—suddenly the blade touched air instead. Her senses were even more alert, somehow trying to tell her the Bloodbaths have picked up on something and was now trying to surround her.

Of course she would be surrounded. The earpiece cracked again, and Halbert asked, "Sargeant, you need help?"

"Not necessary. Focus on keeping them here."

"Understood."

_There should be around four here. But they aren't moving… why? Wait… or make the first move, soldier. Your call. Heh. Never mind, looks like they beat you into making the first move. Check your five o' clock carefully—shit!_

The Bloodbath at her five o'clock made its move, lashing out with its limbs. She countered with a downward swing, felt the familiar resistence traveling through her arm that screamed she drew blood. Something flashed in the left corner of her peripheral vision, as she raised her blade again to where she assumed the middle of the lump that was the Bloodbath's body would be. A shriek came out again, as she landed on its vitals, piercing the jugular diagonally to the other side. Two down…and another one already leapt, aiming for her back.

_Breathe, exhale, and swing!_ The Bloodbath veered off to the side from the impact of the force, leaving a messy green trail of liquid. One was left in the immediate area. And judging by the lack of voices screaming in her earpiece, her soldiers were holding their own, as it should've been from the very beginning. Currently, it was trying to attack from behind—well that wouldn't work on her twice. Jumping back, she flipped around the monster, intending to strike from its behind when she was almost hit by a sizable amount of green liquid.

Lightning managed to not get hit by curling herself into a tight ball, anticipating the point of landing. _Just what was going on?_ Not only was her uniform almost irrevocably stained, but the monster was still alive!

"We'll help," she heard—from where the shooter was presumably—along with an unmistakable sound of an airbike. It was a woman's voice- that much she could tell.

_You have got to be fucking kidding me. Civilians—vigilantes, whatever they were trying to be—just don't know when to quit with the spotlight. The bike is neither GC nor PSICOM standard issued, and it has been remodeled, judging from the little groan it makes when accelerating. A pure airbike would not make that kind of noise, even with wear and tear._

Irritated beyond belief, the Sargeant flicked her blade downwards, partially in an effort to clean the blade of the sickly green blood it accumulated, and partially because she couldn't kill a civilian, no matter if they were kids trying to be wannabe heroes. Two Bloodbaths were making their way towards the airbike, but it swooped down and the woman shot them both.

"Hey there soldier. You were in a tough spot, right?" The driver of the airbike—a young man with blue hair—spoke up. The woman got off the bike and stood on the side of the airbike, hand on hip, the heavy weapon resting on her bare shoulder.

_Hmph. Amateurs at their finest. Little clothing makes for burns, and lots of jewelry down your front makes for snags. Of course they would be inefficient in any kind of fight. He was no better. Those skinny jeans don't look like they involve much movement. He'd be a sitting duck half the time without the bike. Is this all a game to them?_

As best of a professional voice she can muster, she asked, "Who are you?"

"We're NORA." The young man was quick to answer. The lady on the other hand…

"If you're a soldier from Bodhum, then surely you've heard of us?"

_Well, isn't she the confident type? Despite all these glaring disadvantages you put on your life, where do you two get the confidence? Hmph, you're the kind of people that make my job more difficult._

"Sorry, never heard of you." Lightning then spun on her heel, away from the two, instead heading for her soldiers, who endured the battle from start to finish, looking less than fashionable. Ceviche had a wider grin plastered on his face than necessary, and even Halbert had the corner of his lips into a smirk. Almost out of earshot, but not quite, the two were talking amongst themselves:

"But—"

"Weird, I could have sworn we were more famous than that…"

_Pathetic. 'Famous', as if recklessly endangering yourselves should be praised—_She walked faster to get away from their conversation—_unbelievable that they think they're entitled to being recognized. Yes, the Guardian Corps was fully aware of NORA's activities, but we never took them seriously. Amodar told us not to take them seriously. How could we when their headquarters was a café by day, bar by night? The young lady was the bartender- that much I do know. Even fresh cadets just out of Basic Training do better than all of them combined. Whatever, their lives are theirs to fuck up, unless they interfere with mine._

Taking out her wireless, Lightning called Sergeant Major Amodar to inform that the mission was successfully finished, even with the last bit of interruption of civilians at the end.

"Ha!" He had yelled out, "Just like Farron to say that. I'll be back at the reconvening point, or where that airbike you took would be positioned at. I expect the soldiers to be in one piece unlike last time."

_Last time wasn't exactly MY fault, Sergeant Major. Ceviche hid his drunkenness well, and Halbert couldn't hold anything in, so he sat out._

"Understood, sir!"

"Ahh, don't be so formal. Sooner or later, you'll be going somewhere far."

"Sir?"

"I'm already here, Farron. Where the hell are you?" With that, he hung up before she can inquire any further. Looking at the screen for a couple of seconds, she flipped it closed and made her way over the where the rest of the soldiers were, in the middle of breaking their formation once they were sure the battle was done and over with. Tuning in her earpiece, she ordered a "Soldiers! Reconvening point. Sergeant Major Amodar is here to greet us."

"Aww, we only get a party of one?" Ceviche quipped over the static, as she heard a couple of soldiers chuckling. All right, at least they weren't nearly as annoying—Lightning can admit to that, at least.

"I'm almost to your position Private Ceviche. And I don't want to hear it anymore."

"…Understood, Sarge. Congratulations."

_Yes, almost there. What time is it? I..right, Serah. What to do about her? And I'm back to where I started. Maybe a shopping trip? She likes those. But she never wants anything! Did not help that I wasn't even there for her last birthday. What was I doing? Oh yes, a patrol gone awry. Three punks decided to vandalize the whole city a week before my sister's birthday, making as if monsters washed up ashore in the middle of the night and attacked. She had to be on call at nights, in addition to my regular patrol hours in order to catch them. Seemed as if years go by, the punks get elaborate in their crimes. The night of Serah's birthday…was when the punks were caught. Ouch, now I have to put extra effort into getting on Serah's good side again._

Lightning was caught up in her memories that she mostly ignored the pats on her back from fellow soldiers, congratulating the Sergeant for another job well done. A laugh—a series of hearty chuckles, more like it—snapped her back to attention. Yea, that was Amodar's laugh, couldn't miss it if she ever did bother to try. Wait, now these laughs didn't sound like the Sergeant Major's…

Amodar was with two unidentified men. There were three airbikes parked, and a little further off was her own airbike that she took to get here. Only one of those three was the standard issued bike for the Guardian Corps. The other two…looked similar to the remodeled one driven by those…amateurs. Ahh, so were they from the same group, NORA? Well, her superior was currently being dwarfed by a man in a trenchcoat, never mind the man who only knew how to wear vests and nothing underneath. At least they had a consistent style to them—inefficient for battle. And a little bit too sporty for her tastes. The man in the trenchcoat though…he had the aura of being the leader of the group. She was sure of it. Walking towards them, she kept her eyes on that man. He was sweltering under those clothes, but with the way he was talking to Amodar, you would think they were best buddies. Maybe too amicable for her as well. The more she thought about it, he was a little off-putting. As if she would hate them the moment she got to know him better. And she couldn't pin her finger on it now, but she trusted her instincts, as so her guard would be up, even though she knew she was being rude to a complete stranger.

"Why, hey there Commander. Welcome back," Amodar said as he noticed her sauntering up towards this small group.

"Commander? You shouldn't joke about ranks, Sergeant Major. People might think it's actually true." Lightning shot back. Amodar can take her biting remarks and rolled with it, which was what he did. Leaning back, he gave another chuckle, before adding a "Well, you were the raid leader."

That, she couldn't deny. So she ignored that one… for now. She probably still had adrenaline pumping, so no need to take him so damn seriously. Instead, she went straight to the point.

"So who is this?" She asked, while eying the both of them… closer this time. She was sure she had seen them before.

"They're NORA."


	6. DAY 2: Little of Your Time

What better to ring in the new year than an update! I gotta admit, I felt bad for Snow when I wrote this chapter out. But had to be done.

* * *

_DAY 2: Little of Your Time  
_

_I knew it. From the bikes to even the mismatched clothes…should've known. Why is NORA meddling in our affairs? Once we get back to the station, I will have a talk with Amodar about this. I know it isn't the first time they've decided to stick their noses where it doesn't belong. _

_And true to my assumptions, they did meddle into something huge and beyond their control. But that was another story to tell._

"They're a group of vigilantes made up of young people from the city," Amodar added, sensing Lightning's silence as her being unable to recall who they were.

"Their leader is Snow," he pointed to the man in the trenchcoat.

"Hey," Snow said, waving his hand a bit to emphasize the greeting.

_Dammit, Amodar, why did you have to prove me right this time, out of all the times you joked around with me? At least my instincts were spot-on, that's good to know. And that's how he introduces himself? This "Snow" character needed to get some classes on formality, because I think I'm getting another migraine just standing next to this man. He annoys me already. A smidge of etiquette wouldn't kill him._

"This is our raid commander. She might be young, but she's good." She heard Amodar say to Snow. Then his fingers were on the hilt of her Blazefire Saber, still sort of dirty from the previous battle. In respect, they were only touching the edge of the hilt. He knew Lightning didn't like anybody touching her weapon, superior or not. She earned it and no one else was deemed worthy.

"This…is a sword she got recently, "Amodar continued, "Called a 'Blazefire Saber'—any soldier would understand the significance of this weapon, even if you guys don't fully understand."

"Sergeant Major…let's not talk about this—"

"This sword is given only to the best soldiers," Amodar interrupted with a slight nod and look to Lightning, silently telling her not to be modest…this time for now. Turning again to Snow, he added, "The ones who have this sword have amazing abilities. Isn't that something?"

_What is he saying? Sure, Blazefire take years of patience to even wield it comfortably, but he is going a bit overboard here. Amodar will be Amodar; he has a tendency to brag about his soldiers, like a proud father. Sigh, why me though?_

"I almost forgot, her Blazefire Saber is special. It has an inscription that said… 'White Flash, like my Name'—something like that. Wasn't it?" He asked Lightning.

"Please, let's just leave it like that, okay?" Lightning was embarrassed even to correct him properly, even though in her mind she automatically did it anyways. But Amodar obviously did put in the effort to learn more about her and her weapon at least. The epitome of a great superior officer. But it was actually 'White Flash, Call Upon my Name.'

Snow on the other hand were saying things like, "Is that right?" or "Wow that's amazing". Unfortunately he sounded just a little nonchalant yet fake as he made eye contact with her while Amodar was praising her skills and Blazefire.

"Alright, that's enough out of me," Amodar said, with that small twinkle in his eye for Lightning, before he laughed again and continued, "Well, that's why our sergeant here was able to finish up so quickly. You guys were disappointed there wasn't much left this time, yeah?"

Snow was finally able to utter words that weren't in agreement of Lightning's skills with, "Nah, it's not only the monsters that were reported that are around you know."

"Really?"

"Yeah, if we smoke them out, more will come."

"Oh! I'm all for that, but don't make too much of a disturbance now."

"Yea, no worries. Of course we have that in mind."

_This is a vigilante force? Don't make me laugh. Just a bunch of amateurs who've gotten guns and acting all like some big-shot justice league in this town. Amodar can't be serious with these…young people that still act like children playing cops and robbers. I'm sure if they put this much of an effort into their business, they could've expanded into a franchise by now. These people have no sense of priorities. I wish I was kidding too. I don't even have the energy to criticize them. Because they won't change; they're too stubborn. I criticize when I expect improvement, especially for my soldiers. This was just…pathetic. A waste of breath otherwise. Tch, for my own pride though…_

"You guys have a lot of enthusiasm, don't you? Why not join the army?" Lightning said, partially to assert her authority over this childish group, and partially to soothe her own ego from the incident before.

"Err…Sergeant, was it? With all due respect, rules and uniforms just don't fit our personality, you know?" A shrug of the shoulders from the man.

_As expected, but you obviously know what to say to get on people's nerves, yet somehow you don't even realize how annoying you are. I might actually lose my composure if I was around you long enough. So to prevent that, I will find a way to consider you non-existent._

The Sergeant Major just laughed off Snow's reply with, "Watch what you say," and slapping Snow on the back. Amodar was trying hard to make them seem like buddies, but Lightning knew better. Because Lightning noticed that Snow was a bit dense when it came to sarcasm, she tried her best to ignore it.

"Well now that the monsters are all cleaned up, we'll be going." NORA then climbed on their airbikes and revved them. A soldier then shouted at him, "You guys better not get away with yourselves and get caught." Lightning turned to the soldier and realized it was Azia, the injured soldier from before. Amodar nodded his head and went back to his vehicle, leaving Lightning to go back by herself.

_Ha, Azia would be saying that. If a soldier can fall in battle with the best chances, imagine a bunch of wannabe heroes and their chances?_

"PSICOM's nothing like us, and they won't overlook you!" Azia added, nearly yelling as all the members of NORA were beginning to speed off, one by one. First the woman and young man from before and then the tall guy. Snow was the last one leaving.

"We'll be okay! We're stronger than any army!" And Snow was getting ready with his bike idling a bit, not wanting to break off the conversation abruptly.

_What? Just…Now that was beyond far-fetched. This Snow character is an absolute idiot—no, the whole group—is off their damn rocker. They lack common sense, regardless of their age, because face it, soldier, they're the same age as you. Irresponsible children, more like it._

"Wait," Lightning said, as she paused to fully understand what she was saying to Snow. To Snow, of all people, whom she had just met for less than ten minutes that irritated her to no end, yet she was making him stay. Great, she would be dousing herself in a very hot shower soon, but something was bothering her the moment she met that Snow character. She had to know, had to make sure it was the same guy that—well, he might have fit the description a little. She was sure—possibly, maybe—and it wasn't like her to be so damn indecisive, so she should just spit it out and wait for the best…

"Your name is Snow, isn't it," she managed to blurt out.

"Yeah?" Snow turned his bike around to face her, the bike thrumming in indignation at being delayed from takeoff.

"You're the one who has been following my sister around." A statement, not a question from Lightning Farron, the overprotective sister of Serah Farron. This would be the time and place where it got dangerous with the Sergeant.

"Little sister?" He questioned, scratching at his bandanna with his index finger, either trying to alleviate the itch, or wondering just who her sister was.

"Serah Farron," Lightning curtly answered, about to cross her arms over her chest, the same move she used whenever she felt uncomfortable or just downright pissed off. Right now, her mood was pissed off, but she didn't expect Snow to get that either. It was multiplied ten-fold as she felt herself in Snow's arms, his musk overtaking the stench of her sweat.

_Fucking hell! Why am I being hugged right now…he needs a damn bath. _I_ need a damn bath, and some aspirin. Why, Serah? Why are you…even associating yourself with these kind of people? Oh Etro, are you two going out or something? Did I miss that memo? _

Lightning was absolutely shocked she was having any kind of physical contact with the man. When a person gave off an aura that she hated your guts, the logical thing to do was to back away. Snow…did not do that. Instead, he was the chocobo hugging the fucking Behemoth, axe in hand, ready for a slaughter. What was wrong with this...man?

"Ah! So you're Serah's sister. I shoulda known, you two look pretty similar, but…uh, you two seem different too." Snow was grinning, wide on his face like he found a secret stash of candy. Ugh, if he didn't act like a child before, well now he was starting to look like an overgrown baby just finding his pacifier. Unbelievable that Serah was even talking to this type of man. She could do better than him.

"Serah said that her sister was a soldier, I mean yea I guessed it could've been you when we met, but…what are the odds?" He, this beast of a man was still hugging her. She was going to knee him in the groin if he didn't have some common decency and back off. Her eyebrows kept furrowing the more they stayed at that position, and mustering the breath to shout in his face, Snow had the first draw.

"Nice to meet you! Name's Snow Villiers." He finally backed off and put some distance between him and her. However, he also chose that moment to hold out a hand to bridge the space between them. His leather gloves made his already huge hands look even more gigantic. Plus, this served to incense Lightning. He was asking for a handshake…without even taking off—no, making an effort to take off—those gloves. Well, this man never ceased to amaze her with his lack of propriety. If he even thought about asking for her blessing—he can forget it. She would never approve of him, not unless he started shaping up his image, getting a real damn job instead of dicking off like a delusional idiot playing heroes and villains. Was there even one thing she liked about him? So far, he was shooting blanks with her.

"Don't get involved with my sister." Lightning snapped, plainly ignoring Snow's outstretched hand of friendliness. No need to even try to be neither polite nor friendly when it was obviously clear she disliked him. That simply wasn't her style. That got you nowhere fast, especially in life when it screwed people over. And Snow was the type of man to crash and burn at the speed of sound.

"Why?" The blonde man had the audacity to question why. It was obvious, to Lightning of course, that he wasn't right for her little sister. Because no one else is really compatible with her sister, unless the man was able to prove to Lightning how successful and smart he was. He had to ask _her _first if he could date Serah. Otherwise, Serah didn't need men to take advantage of her. Lightning would never let herself slack off when it came to her sister.

"I said, _don't_ get involved with my sister." With that, Snow pulled his hand back, finally realizing the rejection Lightning was giving him. Something in his head was being processed, judging from his eye movements to his hand, her, then back to his hand. Something seemed to click in place, as his eyes narrowed a little, his hand gone between them and he dared to ask:

"And if I did?" Lightning didn't need to expend energy on arguing with this stubborn man. Obviously if anything were to try to stop him, he wouldn't see the reason. He would…just react headfirst and get what he wanted. Well, he can't have Serah. That was it, she decided.

_And after I shoot down this conversation into oblivion, I am going to have a talk with Serah about her taste in men. There's no way I raised her to fall for glorified bums. If she isn't mad at me now, well tough. She will hate me for that, and I wouldn't care. Because I'm right, no matter her opinion. Is she…rebelling against me? Trying to spite me? I don't understand. Either problem, a talk is overdue. Hopefully, Serah will come to her senses quick, and realize this Snow idiot isn't right for her, so she can meet better guys in Eden University. Or better yet, not even date at all. Really, out of all the guys in Bodhum available…she picks this man._

Lightning turned on her heel, dead set on cutting off this conversation. Her boots nudged into a coconut recently dropped from the tree. A native to the Bodhum region, these coconuts were absolutely inedible. A waste of purpose, like the people in NORA. And their leader…

"So if I did? Then what, " He said with more confidence. If he was going to prove himself to Serah's sister, then he can't back out of this conversation. First impressions, after all, were important—that much he did know and respect.

The sudden _crunch_ of the sand could be heard as Lightning's foot fell on the edge of it, sending it reeling towards Snow. He kicked it up into the air—as if he were practicing ball playing. The coconut landed in his hands…eventually.

"Don't." Lightning replied, as she slowly cracked the joints in her fingers by putting them together. It was her way to signaling she will get to business if need be.

"Sorry, but even if you punch me, it won't work." Lightning couldn't tell if Snow was being facetious or not, because she was assuming he was being strictly honest and still failing her standards. What the fuck was he trying to say anyways? That a woman like her can't hurt him with a physical punch, or her words were being ignored right out? Based on his previous answers, probably both.

"Because I'm hard-headed," Snow explained further, tapping on his head for emphasis. He smiled as he said it, as if he made some important discovery, yet people could obviously come to that conclusion, given a couple of minutes with the man. Lightning, being the stoic warrior, turned her back on him and walked away

_I don't like him at all. He makes me angry just from talking to him. Imagine having to see his face in my house, that shit-eating grin? Why does Serah, of all people, find him interesting? Does she only find him interesting…like I do? Because there's no way in the whole of Cocoon history that there can be men that dense… like Snow Villiers. Really, taking little children to form a vigilante group with him as their "general". Unbelievable the lies they would believe. That Serah would believe these lies and still like…no she couldn't like him. Maybe she found him "interesting" as well. Of course._

"Sergeant Farron, do you know him?" Azia said, looking very nervous at the thought of sticking his nose in. Lightning forgot that he was near the whole time as she was having that pleasant conversation with Snow. Especially the coconut part. Somehow in the time between Amodar's leaving and the conversation, Lightning found herself with a sheathed Blazefire Saber. Hmm, she was getting more comfortable with the blade, so much that she can almost sheath the weapon blindly like that. She sighed, suddenly tired and wishing for that overdue hot shower.

"No, not really." And for a long time, Lightning hoped that would come true. She wanted to wash her hands off of this conversation today. She planned on having nothing further to so with Snow Villiers nor his amateur group NORA. He would not—cannot get close to Lightning, nor Serah either. Not if she had some say in it.


	7. DAY 2: What You Meant

**Notes:** Much shorter than the previous chapters so far, but something to segue the readers back for the next chapter. Yes, this will be the last part to Day 2 (hooray from those who got sick of action instead of more backstory). Also, it's my birthday in a couple of days, so early chapter present! I will try my best to update this monthly, but university has started again and I haven't time to write at all.

Chapter Title taken from Franz Ferdinand's song of the same title.

_Day 2: What You Meant_

* * *

"I'm going back." She nodded to the soldier. Brushing her hair back, she walked away to where her standard-issued airbike was parked. Crap, she also had her regular patrols to do. Well at least she wouldn't be going to the beaches again today. The sun fully came out already, and it was starting to get uncomfortably hot. A cackle sounded out in her earpiece, and her senses went on full alert.

"Farron!" Oh, it was Amodar again. Lightning wondered just what he forgot..again. Amodar had a tendency to forget the most basic of things, but Lightning usually picked up the slack. And she thought nothing was missing…

"Forget your patrol. I'll do it. Go back home today." This was new. Lightning paused, not really knowing what to say.

"…Why, uh, sir?"

"Don't question my order," A laugh could be heard here, "You seemed angry. Cool off, go home early. That's an order, Farron."

"Yes, sir."

_Amodar has something up his sleeve. He usually hates patrolling. Maybe he knows something's up with Serah and me, and this is his way of helping._

Revving up the airbike, she planned to head back into headquarters to wheedle out something out of Amodar, perhaps another patrol in a different shift or day. Maybe even some overtime. Speeding towards the station, Lightning zigzagged through some traffic, eventually making her way into the parking lot of the Guardian Corps. The keeper there was a friendly man, nearing retirement. Because of a persistent ache from a knee injury years ago, he was assigned to more administrative duties.

"Welcome back, Sergeant."

"Thank you Cliff."

She had to show her identification card to the machine that registered all visitors and personnel at the headquarters. "Welcome, Sergeant Farron" could be heard from the voice, feminine sounding, as the majority of soldiers were men. Inside, there were some personnel dealing with paperwork; Lightning tried not to eavesdrop on the phone conversations going on. Overall, it was pretty quiet this time of day for headquarters.

Going up to one of these call takers, she mouthed, "Where is Amodar?" to which the person pointed to her left, where the individual offices were.

_He said he was going to go patrolling, yet is he slacking off in his office, munching donuts or secretly watching television? Amodar thinks nobody notices, but probably half the department knows and like good little soldiers, we keep our mouths shut. Time to get to the bottom of this._

Lightning sauntered over to Amodar's office, bypassing her own little booth of "an office". To her, it couldn't be considered an office; it was more like a cubicle with a door and roof. After meeting Amodar, she would probably stop over and gather any briefs that needed to be reviewed at home. It was very rare she had some downtime, and she would make the most of it so that she can go home and –to this she smiled—eat a home cooked meal instead of eating it hours later after heating it up because it had been in the refrigerator for hours.

First things first.

Knocking on the door, Lightning waited for Amodar's hearty "Come in" before she did, closing the door promptly.

"Sergeant Major." Lightning would have said more, but Amodar was taking a call. Professional as she was, she waited while he continued, making that one finger motion that universally meant "please wait" at her, muttering into the mouthpiece. So she did, opting for staring at her boots. Which, now that she was analyzing her clothes, needed to be washed. There were grit from the battle on sandy ground—it was practically a damn beach—as well as some bloody green residue that Lightning felt on the bottom of her heels. At least she was assured that these boots were durable enough for anything, even that time when they were almost on fire from that Manadrive training gone wrong. No, she did not want to revisit that particular memory but she could admit to herself that it did help.

"What is it Farron. I thought I told you to take it easy. And...take a shower too," Amodar said with a twinkle in his eye. Spending most of the battle slashing at the Bloodbaths, Lightning Farron's uniform was dotted with blood.

"Forgive the appearance, sir," She smirked. Giving the jest a beat, she then continued.

"I was going to ask why you're sending me home early. Besides the obvious." Lightning made a belated salute, and added an equally belated, "Not to be rude, sir. Just asking, sir."

"No need to be so formal! We've known each other…for a couple of years now." Amodar laughed as he said it, sending her a nice pat on the shoulder without the insignia. "Listen," he continued, "your sister called me on my personal line. No, not now. She was worried about you and asked for a day off on your behalf ten days from now… "

_She…did that? Why ten days from now—oh. It's going to be my birthday. I barely remembered it because it was so close to Mom's passing. I—that's in three weeks, the anniversary. Right. Now I have to make it up to her, but what exactly? I don't even know what she likes, besides history. I know she will be majoring in history when she's in college. But a book's not enough. It's not the right kind of apology gift. What do you give to your sister when you've been neglecting her for work, even when you don't even realize it?_

"…and I checked the records, and you, Farron, haven't taken a personal day since almost when you joined the Corps! I think it was long overdue for a break, so I approved your sister's request." Amodar continued, unaware Lightning was paying more attention to her thoughts than his words.

"Unfortunately, you'll still be on sec detail during the fireworks display. Don't have enough people covering that night. Well, Sergeant? Request approved, and I won't accept you cancelling. I better not see you at work ten days from now."

"I—yes, understood. Thank you sir!" Lightning saluted again, partially to spite Amodar. She smirked when she saw him cringe a little from the overt formality.

"Did I not just tell you to stop being so formal?"

Her back was already to him, but she turned her head over her shoulders to address him. "Sorry sir. Force of habit." She then fully turned around and said, "Permission to be dismissed, sir?"

"That's not funny anymore, Sergeant. And go, time's a-wasting the more you talk to me." Amodar waved his hand to dismiss her, and she complied, almost grinning but careful to keep it out of Amodar's sight.

"Right." Lightning said and walked out of the office. Maybe she'll take up Amodar's offer earlier and take a damn well-earned shower while thinking up ideas for Serah.


End file.
